Nice selection! So, do you like Ashtons? I've only had one. It was a "magnum" from their regular line. Smoked it in a martini bar with my wife, Dude, and his wife while listening to an R&B band. It was mild, but very nice! Goes well with mass quantities of chilled gin.

I've been wanting to try something from Joyo de Nicaragua.....I've heard good things about the Antano. Have you tried a Camacho corojo before? I had one last week.....it's one strong, spicy mofo! I prefer the stronger stuff and can handle it just fine, but that thing made me a bit wobbly.

I wonder if we have enough folks here to put together a pass? I'd be glad to host one, if there's interest.

BeeGee.....PM on its way.

__________________May you go marching in three-measure timeDressed up as asses, drunk to the ninesSwing from the rafters, shouting those songsGone unsung for far too long

Nice selection! So, do you like Ashtons? I've only had one. It was a "magnum" from their regular line. Smoked it in a martini bar with my wife, Dude, and his wife while listening to an R&B band. It was mild, but very nice! Goes well with mass quantities of chilled gin.

I've been wanting to try something from Joyo de Nicaragua.....I've heard good things about the Antano. Have you tried a Camacho corojo before? I had one last week.....it's one strong, spicy mofo! I prefer the stronger stuff and can handle it just fine, but that thing made me a bit wobbly.

Yeah, I guess you could say I like Ashtons

Yes, I've tried the Camacho Corojo. In fact, I have a box of the 2002 cigars made from 1997 leaf, the ones that have the Texas Lone Star band on them. I will miss them when they are gone, as it is nearly impossible to find any of that year now. They are among my most favorite cigars. They are very full-bodied and quite pungent, but without seeming harsh. Still, they are not what you want to smoke on an empty stomach. I love them. The 2004 Camacho Corojo Maduro are said to be quite good too, but I haven't tried them yet.

The Joya de Nicaragua Antaño is excellent, but it is also quite full-bodied. If you like a full-bodied cigar, I recommend them. When I'm in the mood for a milder cigar, I go with one of the Ashtons or the Romeo y Julieta Medallos de Oro.

Somewhat surprisingly to some people, the Ashton Maduro is sweet and mild. It looks like it ought to be strong, but it really isn't. Non-cigar smokers sometimes tell me it smells nice, or "doesn't smell too bad". I love the big #50 Double Corona size and the #60 Churchill. You can smoke the whole thing without getting overload. I might buy a box of the robustos or the pyramid just to have another size of those to smoke. They age very well too. The ones I have had sitting on cedar in my humidor for a year are noticeably smoother now than they were when I bought them.

Just smoked a Camacho Corojo 11/18. It's a full-bodied cigar, and I can tell you it isn't something you want to smoke for breakfast. You need to eat first. Fortunately, I'd just eaten a rack of my Kriek Cherry Lambic slow-smoked pork ribs. Just the sort of foundation needed for a cigar of this strength and fullness.

It is supposedly a maduro, and in fact, the wrapper looks somewhat like a maduro. In reality, I think it is a very dark colorado corojo wrapper. Placed side by side with an Ashton maduro, it is clearly several shades lighter in color. About the color of the Nicaraguan Padron maduro wrapper (how I lust for another box of the 1964 Anniversario Torpedo Maduro). Unlike the Padron Anniversarios, the Camacho Corojo 11/18 lacks that signature maduro sweetness. I don't think it is fermented in true maduro style. So I'll just think of it as more of a dark natural rather than a maduro.

The cigar is an unusually shaped figurado. It is about a 47 ring gauge (just guessing) at either end, and fattens up to about a 50 or so in the middle. Unfortunately, the appearance was marred by little splits in the wrapper around the fat bulge in the middle. It didn't seem to affect the burn, though. The oily and slightly toothy wrapper feels good in your hand, and you'll find yourself twisting it around and rubbing your fingers up and down it's length. It is not as fragile as the Padron wrapper, nor as durable as a Connecticut shade wrapper. The feel in your hand is of textured silkiness.

The smell of the cigar, before lighting, is somewhat pungent, and it has a bit of a barnyard funk. Not as much as the natural wrapper 2002 Camacho Corojo Churchills sitting in my humidor, though. It's a pleasant smell, but I'd prefer a bit more presence for such a full-bodied cigar.

The burn started out even, but developed a run in the first third of the cigar leading up to the bulge in the middle. It evened out on its own as the circumference increased and burned even for the rest of the cigar. The ash is a rough, dark charcoal color, and falls off of its own accord at about an inch. That's nice.

The flavor started out with predominately grassy notes, then progressed to a woody quality that remained constant throughout. Just a touch of coffee-like roastiness too. I kept looking for the sweetness of a maduro, but couldn't find it.

The smoke is voluminous. The draw is excellent. The cigar is clearly rolled by master rollers, as there was neither tightness, plugging, or looseness. Despite the unusual shape, the bundle was consistent throughout.

The flavor didn't really turn until the last inch, so you can smoke this thing almost down to your fingers. I like a cigar that is good to the end.

All in all, It was a very good cigar. However, I tend to prefer a medium-bodied cigar, and despite the perfection of the roll, I doubt I'll buy a box of these. I may just buy a few for those occasions when I want something on the heavy side.

Just smoked a Camacho Corojo 11/18. It's a full-bodied cigar, and I can tell you it isn't something you want to smoke for breakfast. You need to eat first. Fortunately, I'd just eaten a rack of my Kriek Cherry Lambic slow-smoked pork ribs. Just the sort of foundation needed for a cigar of this strength and fullness.

It is supposedly a maduro, and in fact, the wrapper looks somewhat like a maduro. In reality, I think it is a very dark colorado corojo wrapper. Placed side by side with an Ashton maduro, it is clearly several shades lighter in color. About the color of the Nicaraguan Padron maduro wrapper (how I lust for another box of the 1964 Anniversario Torpedo Maduro). Unlike the Padron Anniversarios, the Camacho Corojo 11/18 lacks that signature maduro sweetness. I don't think it is fermented in true maduro style. So I'll just think of it as more of a dark natural rather than a maduro.

The cigar is an unusually shaped figurado. It is about a 47 ring gauge (just guessing) at either end, and fattens up to about a 50 or so in the middle. Unfortunately, the appearance was marred by little splits in the wrapper around the fat bulge in the middle. It didn't seem to affect the burn, though. The oily and slightly toothy wrapper feels good in your hand, and you'll find yourself twisting it around and rubbing your fingers up and down it's length. It is not as fragile as the Padron wrapper, nor as durable as a Connecticut shade wrapper. The feel in your hand is of textured silkiness.

The smell of the cigar, before lighting, is somewhat pungent, and it has a bit of a barnyard funk. Not as much as the natural wrapper 2002 Camacho Corojo Churchills sitting in my humidor, though. It's a pleasant smell, but I'd prefer a bit more presence for such a full-bodied cigar.

The burn started out even, but developed a run in the first third of the cigar leading up to the bulge in the middle. It evened out on its own as the circumference increased and burned even for the rest of the cigar. The ash is a rough, dark charcoal color, and falls off of its own accord at about an inch. That's nice.

The flavor started out with predominately grassy notes, then progressed to a woody quality that remained constant throughout. Just a touch of coffee-like roastiness too. I kept looking for the sweetness of a maduro, but couldn't find it.

The smoke is voluminous. The draw is excellent. The cigar is clearly rolled by master rollers, as there was neither tightness, plugging, or looseness. Despite the unusual shape, the bundle was consistent throughout.

The flavor didn't really turn until the last inch, so you can smoke this thing almost down to your fingers. I like a cigar that is good to the end.

All in all, It was a very good cigar. However, I tend to prefer a medium-bodied cigar, and despite the perfection of the roll, I doubt I'll buy a box of these. I may just buy a few for those occasions when I want something on the heavy side.